What should I do with my wedding bouquet?

I really don't want to throw it away but I don't want dried up flowers just lying around the house. Is there a cheap but decorative way of displaying them?


(I already have them hanging upside down to preserve them a little)

What should I do with my wedding bouquet?
well if youre going to make a scrapbook of your wedding you can always put it in there and preserve them.





some people always get them dried and framed with their wedding photo and invitations...





Preserving Your Wedding Bouquet


If you have decided to preserve your bouquet, you have two options for air-drying. One is to bring the flowers to a professional florist and use their expertise to get the project done. If you chose this route, you need to have the bouquet in the florist's hands as quickly as possible after the wedding. Your second choice is to air dry the flowers by yourself. Hang the bouquet upside down on a wire or taught string. Find a dark location with good airflow (well-ventilated), cool updrafts and that is not too humid. An attic, large closet, dark shed or garage are several good places. Hanging the bouquet upside down will keep the stems as straight as possible. To maintain the best color in the bouquet, get them away from sunlight as quickly as possible. The colors of flowers fade due to oxidation, a chemical reaction that needs both water and light. Removing the light source during drying curtails oxidation. The length of the process depends on the degree of humidity, temperature, circulation of air, and the kind(s) of flowers in the bouquet. The drying process is complete when the flowers feel stiff and dry, rather than limp or damp. Dried flowers need not be treated with anything. The old wives' tale about spraying your bouquet with hair spray is just that.





One word of warning . . . you may see little moths, called Indian Meal Moths flying around your dried flowers. They find roses and peonies particularly juicy treats. Should that problem arise, the best thing for you to do is to freeze the bouquet, in a plastic bag, in your freezer. About a week there or, in the winter, outside in a garage or shed, should kill the larvae and solve the problem.





To avoid after-drying fading, the flowers should be kept away from direct sunlight and be nowhere near forced air heaters, whose very dry air may cause the flower structure to shatter. Your flowers can be gently dusted with a feather duster, or with a hair dryer, set on low. If you are "keepsaking" your flowers by putting them away, wrap them gently in newspaper and put them in a cardboard box, away from dampness (some basements), and away from very dry air (some) attics.





Flower Preservation, pressed or freeze dried


This process, described below by Augusta Rose of Roses Freeze Dry is a great way to keep an important memento "fresh."


"Flowers are prepared and placed into a vacuum chamber. Then the temperature is lowered to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit and the moisture is slowly removed. Flowers will retain their natural shape and original color. They will appear as fresh as when they were cut, but you will find that flowers tend to become softer in color. Whites mellow to a lovely ivory color. You can have your entire bouquet preserved and placed in a custom designed case or arranged around your invitation, photo, or any special mementos you may have from that day. Special arrangements can be created that make wonderful gifts for the wedding party members, family, or anyone who helped make your day a special day to be remembered."
Reply:My bridal bouquet was made of orchids, and they don't preserve well. However, the girlfriend who caught my bouquet took out the springs of english ivy and planted them in small clay pots. A year later, on our first anniversary, she gave me a lovely houseplant, grown from my bouquet. I still have it, 30 years later!
Reply:Call the florist where the flowers came from %26amp; ask them if they do bridal boquet perservation. Most do or know some place that does.








My brother's wife had this done with her boquet. The flowers are beautifully displayed under a glass dome %26amp; mounted on a wooden base. She has them prominently displayed on their entertainment center.








If no one nearby does it in your price range, try googling Bridal Boquet Preservation. I'm sure one would be willing to work with you on the price.